economy be damned. the republicans offered to give so much and offering precisely what erskine bowles laid out as a compromise position in the proposal they made the other day. you have republicans repeatedly going back to the president and saying here is what we'll do. he says no, here is what we'll do going further. we are in this cycle now where the republicans are at the point they are done doing that. he talked to republicans. spent the better part of the day talking about the way out of this. increasingly you are hearing from republicans on the house and senate side we are done looking for compromise on this. we want a way out. looking for an exit plan. >> bret: meantime, the pentagon is now saying that they are preparing for sequestration, as the other agencies. getting ready for what happens. how much can the government hold off the bad things that happen on the first of the year? >> hold off some of it for a few months but this is a catastrophe. the president says rattling the cage, that will a